Bucs Wrap Up: Seasons of Success

THE BUCS HAD successful fall and winter seasons with three teams securing state championships, two teams finishing as state runners-up, and several student-athletes winning individual state championships.

GIRLS' SWIM BRINGS HOME STATE TITLE AND NUMEROUS NEW RECORDS

For the first time since 2011, our Girls’ Swim team secured the NCISAA Division I Title. The undefeated Bucs brought energy, teamwork, and pure athleticism to the NCISAA Swimming Championships. This was a huge meet to cap off a historic season for the Bucs, with plenty to celebrate. Our boys’ team came in third, making it possible for the Bucs to finish in second overall out of 16 teams. 27 Bucs competed at the championship meet (16 girls, 11 boys). 39 athletes set personal best times, and the team set 22 new records. The Bucs secured 11 out of 22 events, leading the Bucs to the podium 18 times.

Wrestling Wins

On February 16, Country Day hosted the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) State Wrestling Championship in the Harris Performance Gym. The Athletics Office put on a great event, welcoming 18 teams from across the state and close to 400 spectators. Congratulations to Bucs state champion Nicholas Arado (138 weight class), runner-up Dante Graham (157 weight class), and third place finishers Pope Shuford (132 weight class) and Jacob Johnston (190 weight class).

FIELD HOCKEY EARNS THIRD TITLE IN FIVE YEARS

Varsity Field Hockey won its third NCISAA 4A State Championship in five years. Last year, the Bucs were State Runner-Ups, a year after clinching the championship. Going into this season, the Bucs used much of that momentum to bring home the trophy—they allowed just one goal in three playoff wins, including a 2-0 shutout of Cary Christian in the NCISAA state championship game. Additionally, Coach Kayleigh Ferlan was named the Charlotte Observer Coach of the Year.

GIRLS’ TENNIS GOES UNDEFEATED

Our Girls’ Tennis team dominated their season. After going undefeated, they secured the NCISAA 4A Championship at home on the Rankin Tennis Courts. The Bucs controlled the match against Providence Day, securing doubles, and giving us a large advantage as they moved into singles, just like they had during much of the regular season.

This is Coach Calvin Davis Jr.’s 35th state championship of his career at Country Day. (See side story on page 13)

Our JV Girls’ Tennis team also had an undefeated season, finishing with a perfect 13-0. The future is bright for Country Day tennis!

Cross-Country and Track Honors

Cross-Country had another impactful season, ending on a high note. The girls’ team has been a pillar of consistency these past four years finishing as state runner-up in 2020, 2022, and 2023, after winning the title in 2021.

The boys’ team tied their best performance ever at the State Championship meet, also finishing as runner-up.

The Bucs also brought home some hardware from the NCRunners Independent Schools Indoor Championships, where our girls’ team placed second. These student-athletes finished in first place: Boys 500m Dash: Kobey Riley; Girls 1600m Run: Abby Kerrins; Girls Shot Put: Kate Stajos; Girls 4x200m Relay: Jada Erwin, Olivia Graves, Ava Goggin, Lindsey Kerrins; and Girls 4x400m Relay: Olivia Graves, Lindsey Kerrins, Ava Goggin, Abby Kerrins.

These athletes have worked extremely hard to produce positive outcomes, team culture, and spirit. That hard work is a testament to the strength, growth, and future of our program." — Director of Athletics Masanori Toguchi